Heir's Choice
by kishtrethya
Summary: Medieval AU fic. Kaoru is Lord Shibuki's perfect, obedient heir, until something happens that changes his world forever. Eventual InuKai, other side pairings
1. Chapter 1

Title: Heir's Choice  
Author: kishtrethya  
Rating: PG  
Pairings/Characters: InuKai, and other minor pairings.  
Genre: AU/Romance/Drama  
Summary: Kaoru is Lord Shibuki's perfect, obedient heir...until something happens that turns his world upside down.

Note: Six chapters of this particular story have already been published at my LiveJournal, which can be reached from my user info page, in case anyone cares to read ahead. Otherwise, I'll be posting a new chapter here every few days or so. Also, I have used their first names both to distinguish them from their actual PoT counterparts, and in keeping with the medieval European atmosphere. Comments and constructive criticism appreciated!

-Heir's Choice, Chapter One-

The dull clang of steel on steel echoed off of the stone walls of the courtyard. All the residents of the manor who were under eighteen were there, as were most of the guardsmen. The gathered watchers were uncharacteristically silent, murmuring only when there was a pause in the action before them, and they hastily quieted the moment the swords began their dance once more.

Fifteen-year-old Kaoru, heir to the manor and to the relatively expansive farmlands and forest that surrounded them, parried another blow, one that sent a shock all the way up his arm. Captain Kunimitsu, master-at-arms and the man charged with command of the guard, was barely holding himself back today.

Kaoru feinted left, then lunged, contacting the captain's ribs with the side of his blade before the older man brought his sword in to counter. Kunimitsu shook his head just slightly, but Kaoru did not need to be told that it was not a killing or incapacitating stroke.

They fought on, and Kaoru's arms began to ache. All of the captain's strikes made him very nearly drop his sword. He stubbornly persisted anyway, but he knew that his moves were becoming more and more desperate. Kunimitsu wasn't letting up, either, and would soon find a way to take advantage of Kaoru's growing weakness.

Kaoru sidestepped a swing, ducking to the right, but he didn't quite avoid it completely. He winced when the captain clipped his shoulder. He would have a bruise there the next day, that was for certain. Kaoru dropped to one knee and shoved his blade upward in what seemed to be a fool's move. It left his own vitals ridiculously undefended, and it would only be dumb luck if his sword found its intended mark.

He was surprised when the captain's sword stilled in mid-slice, and he dared to glance up. The dulled point of his practice blade rested directly on Kunimitsu's throat. It had been an undisputed killing touch; luck had been on Kaoru's side this time.

Kunimitsu nodded as much as he could manage with the tip of a sword at his neck. "Well done overall," he said, then added flatly, "but that last move was a risk. You must keep your guard up in combat, even in practice."

Now talk broke out among the youngsters as they chattered excitedly about this parry or that riposte. The guards laughed and talked with them, and also probably paid the bets that had been made amongst themselves. Kaoru saw at least one flash of gold that indicated that money was changing hands.

Kaoru lowered his blade and met Kunimitsu's eyes directly. The captain regarded him and raised an eyebrow, questioning without a word. "I would like to practice more often, sir," Kaoru said carefully. "Not just with my cousins, if you would be willing to teach me more, Captain Kunimitsu, sir."

"Ah." The captain considered for a moment, sweeping a gaze over the children and his men, who were serving as audience. Then the man inclined his head in acceptance. "If you don't object to early hours, you may practice with myself and the guard, at fifth stroke before dawn."

It would be earlier than Kaoru ever woke on ordinary days, but he didn't care. "Thank you, sir," he said humbly. "I would appreciate that."

Kunimitsu made a gesture of dismissal. "I believe you have lessons now, young lord."

"Yes, sir," Kaoru replied, then hesitated. "Would you like me to clean my blade and put it away, sir?" Their practice fight had gone on longer than usual, judging by the sun, and Kaoru was going to be late to lessons even if he got on his way immediately. But he always hated to shirk his responsibilities. Being the lord's son, any laziness would be tolerated on occasion, but Kaoru did not want to take advantage.

"Go," Kunimitsu told him. And then with something almost resembling humor: "Lady Sumire should not be kept waiting." He held a hand out for Kaoru's blade, and Kaoru gratefully gave it to him.

Kaoru turned and left the practice grounds at a trot, unbuckling his leather practice armor as he went. Then he thought better of it; he would have no appropriate place to put it, and Lady Sumire didn't care what he showed up wearing so long as he studied diligently.

Kaoru pushed open the large wooden side door on this side of the keep with a creak and a shower of sawdust. Somehow, no matter how often this door was used it still dropped debris on whoever passed through it if that person wasn't careful. If Kaoru didn't know better, he would have guessed that some of his cousins had rigged it to do so.

As though his thoughts had conjured one of his cousins out of thin air, there was suddenly the sound of jogging footsteps behind him and a jovial shout of "Oi, snake!"

Kaoru closed his eyes in complete disgust. It _would_ have to be Takeshi, one of the only cousins who had been living here since as far back as Kaoru could remember. He had a talent for irritating Kaoru that surpassed even his remarkable skill and strength when wielding a heavy broadsword.

Takeshi had called him "snake" ever since an embarrassing incident with a small, harmless blacksnake that Kaoru would have preferred to forget. Takeshi, unfortunately, would not let him forget it, teasing him every opportunity he got. Kaoru never stopped himself from flinging insults back at the other boy, admittedly, except in the presence of his father, his mother, Captain Kunimitsu, or Lady Sumire.

Now Kaoru hissed "Idiot," under his breath, pitched just loud enough that Takeshi could hear him. Takeshi caught up to him, panting, breathless and sweaty although he hadn't exercised nearly as much. Kaoru noted this with a certain guilty satisfaction; Takeshi might well be able to handle a broadsword with a confidence Kaoru did not possess, but his stamina was clearly inferior.

"Who're _you_ calling an idiot?" Takeshi asked cheerfully. "That last move of yours was the stupidest thing ever! Thought captain would smack you for that, even though you did make kill point," the boy continued with a snicker.

"Shut _up_," Kaoru snapped back, speeding his pace just a little. If only he could make it to the study, where Lady Sumire was waiting, he could be free of this annoyance.

Takeshi walked faster too, keeping up regardless of his lesser staying power. Apparently irritating Kaoru was his life's work, and nothing would sway him from his duty. "No wonder you want extra practices," Takeshi jibed, poking Kaoru in the arm with one finger. The leather armor he was still wearing protected Kaoru from actually i feeling i it, but he moved away from his cousin anyway. "I would think you'd want to get in as much practice as you could!" Takeshi said, sounding ever so happy to be bothering the heir of the hold. "I'd think you'd-"

Kaoru interrupted him with a muttered, "You _think_? That's a change."

"What?" Takeshi asked stupidly, looking at his cousin sideways as he took a second to get it. "Oh! Ha, ha, real smart. That what Lady Sumire's teaching you in those advanced lessons? She's gotta teach you some better-"

"Are you implying that my teaching is inadequate?" Lady Sumire's somewhat gravelly but sharp voice made both Takeshi and Kaoru blanch unconsciously. The woman tutored all of the youngsters who lived at the manor, and they all knew that she was incredibly formidable despite, or perhaps because of, her slight build. Kaoru knew that he, for one, would take an angry Captain Kunimitsu over Lady Sumire in a temper any day.

Takeshi shook his head fast, his eyes wide as he did his best to look innocent. "No, no, ma'am, I wasn't saying anything like that, lady, never, not me," he babbled. "I'm sure you'd only teach really good insults-uh, I mean, if you taught insults at all, I mean-" He stopped, to Kaoru's disappointment, apparently realizing that he was only digging himself in deeper.

Lady Sumire, however, only let out an unladylike snort of laughter. "Damn right I'd teach good insults, boy," she told him equably. "And you'd best quit tormenting our young lordling, unless you want to remember what it feels like to be dragged off by your ear."

"Yes ma'am," Takeshi said in one of his rare showings of obedience, turning smartly and fleeing before his dignity could be reduced to further shreds. He didn't quite run, but came close to it. Kaoru suppressed any reaction to that, knowing Sumire wouldn't appreciate _him_ snickering, either. He was glad enough that Takeshi's lessons weren't along with his. Since the other boy hated to study, he was always in with the children two and even three years younger than himself.

"Brat," Lady Sumire said fondly after Takeshi's retreating back. She definitely cared about all the hold's youngsters, even though she wasn't averse to tanning a hide every once in a while. She turned to Kaoru and studied his attire in amusement. "I was coming to look for you. Guess Kunimitsu kept you late, then?"

Kaoru nodded, flushing despite himself. "We didn't make kill point until a minute ago, I'm sorry ma'am," he apologized, although he really couldn't have helped it unless he'd cut the match short with a forfeit.

"Tch," Sumire replied, another sound that Kaoru's mother, the Lady Hozumi, would have died rather than make. "Stop apologizing to me, it gets old, boy. Wasn't your fault anyway. So, who made point first, you or Kunimitsu?"

"I did, ma'am," Kaoru said, then hastened to add the rest of the truth: "But I was clumsy and reckless at the end, ma'am. It was only luck that I made point." It wasn't really an accomplishment; Kaoru was unhappy that it hadn't been his actual swordsmanship skills that finally won him a point off the captain.

Sumire grinned at him, though. "Ha. Good for you." She laughed then. "Doesn't matter if it was luck or no, I won my bet with Syuusuke, and he'd damn well better pay up after all the coin he's taken from me!" She clapped Kaoru on the shoulder, for all the world the gesture of a guardsman.

"Bet, ma'am?" This was the first Kaoru had heard of this particular wager, although he knew Sumire _did_ frequently gamble with the men. His mother sometimes railed about the impropriety of it all, although she did so in a very polite, ladylike sort of way. Besides that, Sumire liked to talk to her students, and was perfectly blunt about how she spent her spare time if asked.

"Mm-hm," Sumire said, still grinning. "Bet young Syuusuke, you know, that pretty transfer lieutenant, that you'd best Kunimitsu within two months. You're a week early too," she informed him gleefully. "I'll be trying to get something extra out of that rascal, that's sure!"

Sumire reached into her pocket and pulled out her jangling keyring. There weren't many keys dangling from it, as almost none of the keep's doors were ever locked, but there were some exceptions. Lord Shibuki and Lady Hozumi's bedroom, the linen closets, the girls' quarters, and Sumire's study were all kept under lock and key. Kaoru's parents, of course, enjoyed their privacy. The linens were locked away partly because some of the manor's pranksters (Takeshi in particular) found it amusing to play tricks using the best sheets. The girls' quarters were locked to keep any uninvited boys out, and to make sure they didn't find spiders or frogs in their beds (another trick Takeshi had been fond of playing). Sumire's study locked because, as she put it, "I don't want to deal with meddlesome brats except at _my_ choosing." She'd said it with a twinkle in her eyes, but Kaoru didn't doubt she'd meant it.

She swung the door open; these hinges were well-oiled and without the rain of dust that came from the outside door. Kaoru blinked as he stepped inside, adjusting to the candles that lit the windowless room. As ever, he was quietly impressed with the study even though he'd seen it thousands of times before.

The first thing to catch the eye was the large jeweled globe of the world that took up half the desk. Sumire had inherited it from her late husband, for whom it had been a treasured possession. The globe was probably worth more gold pieces than anything else in the keep, and maybe even more than the building itself. The larger cities were marked with glittering rubies, and the smaller towns and holds with smaller sapphires. The continents were also dotted with various other stones, royal golden topaz for deserts and emeralds for jungles and forests, light blue topaz for the lakes and rivers. All of the kingdom borders were marked with rows of tiny sparkling diamonds. Kaoru took every opportunity to study the globe closely. It fascinated him with its stunning craftsmanship and geography lesson rolled into one.

The second thing that most people noticed on walking inside were the rows upon rows of shelves that lined the walls, all of them packed full of books. There were more books in here than in the keep's official library, and, Kaoru thought secretly, all more interesting than his father's dull history volumes.

These books were mostly novels, or if not, they were written in a manner that was more like a tale than a simple recitation of dates. They'd mostly been written by people who had actually _been_to the places they described, and they did not only recount which day it was that so-and-so castle fell and such-and-such treaty was signed. They made it so Kaoru could hear the fierce war cries and the screams of the dying. He could hear the clash of steel and the splintering of shields, could see and smell the blood and the sweat and the tears. He could feel the determination of these men who had long since been dead, and he loved it. It honored their memories more, he felt, although he'd never say such to anyone aloud.

The day Kaoru had gone from being tutored by his father to being tutored by Lady Sumire had been one of the best in his young life. It wasn't that his father was an awful teacher; Kaoru had been just as good a student with him as with Sumire. But Lord Shibuki wasn't very concerned with those subjects that Kaoru considered his favorites, literature and real history. He'd _certainly_ never let his heir choose for himself which books to study.

Sumire _did_ let Kaoru decide what they would focus on, up to a point. She'd been delighted to find that despite his love for swords and general athleticism, he was one of the best students she'd ever had. He had to work to earn his high marks, especially at mathematics and accounting, but work he did, every single day.

Now, settling into her hard-backed wooden chair (which Sumire claimed kept her young, but looked terribly uncomfortable to Kaoru), Sumire flipped open the book on her large oaken desk. "Hm," she said thoughtfully. "History, where were we now?"

Kaoru settled into his slightly more comfortable padded chair, and said immediately, "The defense led by Lord Sagara at the Eastern border, ma'am." He'd been reading more on his own about a man he considered one of his heroes.

"Ah, yes," Sumire said, finding the correct page. "An interesting tactic used there, you know, was the..."

The Phoenix Formation, as Kaoru already knew, was one that sacrificed the lives of those at the head of the charge so that the rest of the army could make a comeback. Lord Sagara himself had led that frontal charge and had been one of the first to die, charging one of his captains to lead the rear force. Everyone had pleaded with him to take the other force himself, but he'd refused to let his men go to their deaths without him. The captain, whom Sagara had trusted implicitly, had done an exceptional job with his own task, leading what remained of the army to a hard-won victory.

Lessons slipped by quickly as they always did for Kaoru nowadays. He didn't have much more of numbers and figures to learn, and his father already let him manage some of the house's supply lists because his accounting was so good. It was mostly history, battle tactics, literature, and diplomacy that Kaoru studied at this point, all things he loved to learn.

Lady Sumire dismissed him with a wave as he finished reading to the end of the diplomacy chapter that covered foreign etiquette, and how one false move could sabotage any treaty. Kaoru left with a quiet "Thank you, ma'am," that only made Sumire scoff and tell him, "Get on with you, boy." Kaoru's lessons were the last of the day, advanced and separate from the other children's, so there was no one waiting out in the hallway for Sumire's time.

The sky was darkening outside of the arched stone windows. And he was very hungry, Kaoru realized in surprise. His stomach told him that it was surely time for dinner, and probably past. He had to control himself to stop from sprinting to the Hall for the meal. Now that he ate at the high table, they would save food for him, even if Takeshi and the other cousins ate everything else.

He'd just rounded one of the last corners when he literally ran into his younger brother Hazue...or more accurately, when Hazue ran into _him_. The younger boy yelped in surprise and would have fallen onto his backside if Kaoru hadn't put out a hand to steady him.

"Kaoru!" Hazue said, happy as a young puppy to see his elder brother. "Is Lady Sumire coming down? Mother says she isn't to skip dinner again. She says it's not healthy."

"I don't know, Hazue," Kaoru replied truthfully. Lady Sumire hadn't looked especially inclined to stir a foot from her study when he'd left, but it was easy enough for her to change her mind. "You'd better go and ask her."

"I will!" Hazue accepted the task from Kaoru as eagerly as he'd probably accepted it from Lady Hozumi. The boy darted off down the hallway, heedless of the fact that other people used the passage as well. Kaoru was willing to bet that he'd run into at least one maid on his way up.

Kaoru watched until Hazue was out of sight, then shook his head with a patient sigh. Hazue was their mother's pet and, truth be told, everyone else's as well. It was impossible not to like him at the very least, and most adored him. Kaoru and Hazue were nearly polar opposites: Kaoru with his air of obedience and calm, and Hazue with his childish exuberance. It worked out for the best that Kaoru would inherit the manor and the responsibilities that came with it.

Kaoru pushed his way through one of the smaller doors that led into the Hall, his ears, as always, assaulted by the laughter and chatter of the hundred-odd people who lived in the manor. One of the hunting pups, Kaoru's favorite, Shadow, broke off from his frantic search for scraps below the table. He greeted Kaoru with a playful leap, and a piteous whine that begged for a pat.

Kaoru obliged the half-grown hound, scratching behind his ears for a minute before continuing on to the high table, Shadow prancing along at his heels, hoping for some food to be tossed his way. The delicious food aromas made Kaoru's mouth water and his stomach complained even more strongly. Kaoru took his seat beside his father, and his mother smiled at him.

"Lessons ran late, then?" Lord Shibuki asked, pausing and resting his fork on his plate.

Kaoru nodded. "Yes, sir, they did."

"I hope you're studying well," his father stated, then went back to his large slice of turkey. With those little formalities done, Kaoru felt free to eat, taking something from every dish onto his plate. As he'd expected, his cousins had devoured all the food at the low table, but the high table was served on separate platters.

Kaoru debated with himself whether or not to tell his father that he would be taking extra sword lessons in the early mornings, but decided against it. Captain Kunimitsu would tell the man, probably already had, in fact. And Kaoru's father, like Kaoru himself, was not one for unnecessary small talk.

Kaoru ate in relative peace, although his cousins were exceptionally loud. At least none of them, including Takeshi, would dare shout anything at him while he sat up here. It had been a blessing when Lord Shibuki had judged Kaoru old enough to eat with the adults. Before then, his meals had frequently been interrupted by arguments or all-out fights that ended with the still-hungry participants being expelled from the Hall.

Kaoru finished quickly, knowing that shortly the youngsters would all adjourn to the gardens or somewhere similar. He didn't truly _enjoy_ time spent with his cousins and the fostered children, but as his father had told him time and again, it was essential for Kaoru to maintain decent relations with everyone at the hold. It was these children who would one day support him as Lord.

When Hazue came back to the hall in triumph, a mock-aggravated Lady Sumire in tow, all the children seemed to take that as a signal. They moved very nearly as one body as Kaoru watched them. He followed after a few moments, at his father's nod. He joined his peers as the whole giggling, gabbing mob headed out one of the Hall's side doors like a strange flock of sheep, telling Shadow to "stay."

Takeshi dropped back to walk beside Kaoru, to Kaoru's extreme irritation. Takeshi was one of the few people in the world, Kaoru thought, who could devour an entire turkey by himself and not be the least bit drowsy.

"Heya, snake, I know something you don't know," Takeshi sang, dancing along on his toes, going backwards so he could face Kaoru.

"The Travelers pulled up into the back meadow while you were at lessoning," someone else spoke up in a bored tone. It was one of the fostered boys, the son of Lord Nanjiroh, one of Lord Shibuki's acquaintances. He'd been sent from the city to live at a farming hold for a while.

Takeshi did a good impression of one of the fancy fish imported into the front pond, his mouth opening and closing soundlessly as his eyes widened. "Ryoma-a," he finally whined, "I wanted to make him guess!"

"Don't," Ryoma said, feigning indifference. "It makes you look like an idiot."

Kaoru had never paid much attention to Ryoma before this. All he knew was that the boy had been a rebellious city brat when he'd first arrived. He'd gotten used to manor life now, apparently, and knew how to deal with Takeshi's antics. Kaoru felt a certain appreciation for the boy at the moment. He'd dealt with Takeshi in the most effective way possible, telling news the older boy wanted to keep secret, something Takeshi hated more than almost anything. _Is this what you learn in the city?_ Kaoru wondered._ I should ask Father if I could go with him some year..._

Meanwhile, Takeshi's and Ryoma's "conversation" continued. "_I_ look like an idiot?" Momo asked incredulously. "You think just 'cause you're city-bred you can say what you like?"

Ryoma replied with another biting retort, laced with sarcasm, but Kaoru wasn't really paying attention. As he passed through the door into the brisk evening breeze, he was thinking about the Travelers.

Kaoru privately looked forward to the Travelers' arrival each year more than his Name Day and Midwinter combined. The Travelers were, as their name implied, traveling folk who lived in brightly painted caravan wagons. They always brought with them every sort of curiosity from every place they'd been, all of it for trade or sale. There were odd-colored ribbons and delicate blown-glass animals, bizarre foreign weapons and small animals that looked almost like mice but weren't, orange fruits that had somehow been preserved with spices, and much more.

They also brought in their wagons that which Kaoru enjoyed the most: books. The books were sometimes leather-bound, covered in fancy gold script, and sometimes wrapped in oilcloth to keep out the damp. They brought books on every subject imaginable, some tales and histories, some learned treatises written by great thinkers, some mysterious religious tomes that told of strange gods from other countries...the list went on and on.

Books were Kaoru's secret joy, always, a passion he shared with Lady Sumire. She was the only one who knew about his love of novels and stories, aside from Kaoru's perceptive mother. Kaoru usually asked Sumire to buy the books he wanted with his allowed pocket money so that his father wouldn't see him purchasing what he referred to disdainfully as "women's entertainments." Kaoru hid the thirty-some books he owned from his father, feeling deeply guilty for doing so but unwilling to give up his precious pages. It was Kaoru's one and only act of defiance, but it gnawed away at his conscience regardless. He could recall only too well a discussion-argument, really-between his parents and Lady Sumire on that exact subject.

"He's _too_ damn obedient, if you ask me, Shibuki!"

"I didn't ask you, did I, Sumire?" Lord Shibuki's voice was cold and stern, and made Kaoru cower farther back into the doorway he'd only begun to enter. Lady Hozumi gasped and murmured his father's name, but said nothing more. "I will not have my son reading tales like a damn _woman_.You, and he, _will_ obey me in this."

"Fine." Lady Sumire's voice matched Shibuki's for coldness, and she stormed out of the room. Kaoru followed in her wake, feeling very small and helpless at the age of eleven.

But neither one of them had obeyed Lord Shibuki. Even Kaoru's lady mother approved of his love of novels and gave them to him, cleverly disguised, as Midwinter gifts.

Now Kaoru wondered if he would have time this night to visit the Travelers, but quickly dismissed the thought. It was bad enough that he went against what his father had expressly forbidden; he would have to sneak out of the keep if he wanted to see the back meadow this evening. He never broke the rules in that way, even if it would mean a new book to read by candle in his room tonight. He'd gone out only once without his parents' permission. He'd felt sick inside for an entire week before breaking down and confessing to his mother, who wasn't very angered by it after all that.

So Kaoru decided that tonight he would simply stay with his cousins, attempting to be friendly or at least civil to those his own age. The Travelers and their alluring wares could wait until the next day.


	2. Chapter 2

Review Responses:  
Dark Purity-I actually thought of using their last names, but I used the names I did for the purpose of medieval European authenticity, and also to distinguish them from their actual Tenipuri counterparts...although I sometimes forget which name to use while I'm writing... ;;;

Ammeh-I'm glad that you liked it! I'm trying to make it good thus far, and I hope it continues that way! Also, as to the Eiji/Oishi comment...I'm a Golden Pair fan myself, as well as a Tezuka/Fuji fan, although I won't say more than that! Oh, and I think I'll take your advice and put a note about the names in the first chapter! Thank you!

-Heir's Choice, Chapter Two-

Kaoru was woken early the next morning by a gentle shaking and a "Beg pardon, milord, but you asked me to wake you before fifth stroke today." The young manservant, Katsuo, sounded sleepy himself, and for good reason. It was a full three strokes before Kaoru usually asked to be gotten out of bed, and the sky was still dim and gray out the window.

Kaoru nodded. "Thank you, Katsuo," he said, forcing himself out from under his warm, down-filled comforter. The days were warm now, at the tail-end of summer, but the nights had a chill nip to them, and night was not truly done at the moment.

"Welcome, milord," Katsuo replied with a bow, and left to the sitting room to prepare Kaoru's clothing for the day. Kaoru sat up in bed, running a hand through his sleep-mussed hair. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, his bare feet contacted cold stone, and he winced. The sun hadn't come up to warm the grey stones yet.

Hastily he stood and looked around for his slippers to wear for a bit, until he put on his boots. They were across the room by Kaoru's personal fireplace, which was nothing but a pile of ashes until the colder winds of winter arrived. Kaoru tried not to flinch with every step he took on the near-freezing floor, and it was bliss when he reached the slippers and put them on.

Katsuo re-entered the room with Kaoru's preferred sword-practice wear, plain brown trews and a green tunic, with a simple belt and short boots, and the leather practice armor. "Do you need-" Katsuo yawned, then looked utterly horrified with himself. "S-sorry, milord, it's just the time. I haven't properly woke yet, and-"

"It's all right," Kaoru told the boy, knowing that the young one's apologies were often longer and more self-effacing than was really necessary. "It _is_ a bit early." Kaoru rubbed tiredly at his own eyes, which refused to stay open.

"Yes, milord," Katsuo said, with a grateful smile. "I was just wondering, do you want me to stay and help with your armor and your belt and all?"

Kaoru shook his head. Sometimes he did like the help with all the fastenings and buckles, but more often he wanted to do it himself. "No thank you, but if you'd please bring me a basin of water, I'd very much appreciate it."

Katsuo dipped his head, eager to please as ever, even so early as this. "Yes, milord." He left the room at a quick trot, hand raising to suppress another yawn.

Kaoru stripped out of his sleeping clothes, white, loose and comfortable, made of good linen. He shivered when the pre-dawn air touched his bare skin, and did not hesitate in pulling on his day clothing. He'd only been up this early once before, when his mother had started birthing Hazue, and he'd been so little then that he barely remembered it. He certainly hadn't remembered it as being quite this _cold_. He sat down to change his slippers for his boots so that his feet wouldn't have to touch the floor again.

Katsuo returned again, this time with careful, easy steps as he balanced a porcelain bowl filled with water. "It's cold, milord," he warned. "It's all I could get, sorry..."

Kaoru nodded acknowledgment. Cold was fine, although he inwardly dreaded the feel of it. It would wake him up, though, which was what he needed. Katsuo held the basin as Kaoru steeled himself, then used his hands to splash the water up onto his face. The liquid was colder than the stone floor, frigid as snow, and Kaoru shivered again despite himself. It _had_ woken him up a bit more, however, and that was all he could ask.

"Th-thank you," Kaoru managed after he was done. Katsuo took that as the dismissal it was and left the room to empty the bowl. He paused on the threshold of the door, calling back over his shoulder, "Do you need anything else, milord?"

Kaoru considered for a moment. He _was_ hungry, but his past experiences told him that it wasn't wise to eat so soon before exercising. "No, thank you, Katsuo," Kaoru told the boy, who then exited the room.

Kaoru himself left the room through his sitting room several minutes later. The keep's corridors were odd when they were so deserted. His footsteps echoed almost eerily all through the empty hall. The cousins were all still asleep in their barracks-style shared bedrooms, which Kaoru was privileged not to share as well.

Some of the servants _were_ awake, however. Kaoru heard voices whispering and soft footfalls somewhere along the way, and saw a groups of maids carrying laundry. They quickly silenced when they saw him, lowering their eyes to the floor as he passed, shooting only sideways, coy glances in his direction. Kaoru ignored them as he usually did, even when they started murmuring and giggling his name as soon as he was ten paces away. They flirted with him persistently whenever they were performing some task in his vicinity, and the only way Kaoru could tolerate it was to pay them no mind. Takeshi, of course, loved the attention and flirted right back, as did most of Kaoru's other cousins.

The clash of blades was a far more welcome sound as Kaoru pushed open the outside door, forgetting to dodge the shower of dust that always fell from it. He was still brushing it out of his hair when he walked out to see Captain Kunimitsu exchanging blows with a smaller brunette man. Syuusuke, Kaoru tentatively identified him, the one who'd wagered with Lady Sumire on his and the captain's fight.

Kunimitsu used the sword style with which Kaoru was familiar, with a medium-length blade and the standard parries, ripostes, and footwork. Syuusuke used a different style altogether. He held only a short dagger, a weapon Kaoru would have thought useless against a sword of any size.

But Syuusuke used the tiny blade to best effect. He did not block Kunimitsu's blows so much as let them flow off his weapon like water. He darted and dodged, lithe and graceful, looking as though he wasn't even expending much effort.

The captain circled Syuusuke warily, sword at the ready, hunting for an opening. Syuusuke stayed where he was, smiling slightly, in a fighter's half-crouch. The other guardsmen watched, talking softly amongst themselves. Everyone's breath fogged and turned to smoke in the morning air.

There was a collective gasp as Syuusuke suddenly lunged, impossibly fast, at the captain. But Kunimitsu had evidently been expecting just that, because his sword also moved at that precise instant. It took Kaoru a moment to register what had just happened, it was so quick.

Syuusuke was behind Kunimitsu, dagger in a position to cut the other's throat. The captain had flicked his blade upward so that it, too, was resting at his opponent's jugular.

A good-natured laugh spread through the crowd of watchers. Syuusuke laughed as well, despite his precarious position. Even Kunimitsu smiled slightly, a sight that made Kaoru blink and look a second time. It was rare that the captain looked so happy. "A draw again, Syuusuke," Kunimitsu said dryly, lowering his sword.

"Yes indeed," Syuusuke replied with a chuckle. "You can still catch me, even when I use all my tricks, Captain." He removed the knife from where it rested, slipping it into a sheath at his belt.

"The rest of you, continue," the captain ordered the guardsmen. "You've had enough of a break, I believe." The groan that followed this was just as good-natured as the laughter had been. The men, some of whom had been leaning on their blade-down swords, picked up their weapons and began performing drills with their comrades.

The captain caught sight of Kaoru and beckoned him over. Kaoru jogged to the center of the packed-earth practice yard, approaching Kunimitsu and Syuusuke.

"Kaoru," Kunimitsu said, reverting to the way he usually behaved, stoic and very properly military. Kaoru felt a pang of guilt for having intruding on the time that the guard spent alone, without children or nobility. But he paid careful attention to Kunimitsu's words, pushing his guilt to the back of his mind.

"You've improved very much in traditional sword-style, as far as I believe is necessary, and perhaps beyond that," the captain said, as close to a compliment as he would ever come. "If you don't object, I would like Syuusuke to train you in his discipline."

"Yes, sir," Kaoru said, inclining his head. "I wouldn't object, sir." He tried to stop himself looking at Syuusuke, whose smile had been ever-present since he'd started guard duty at the manor, two or three years earlier. Kaoru did not know the man well, but his fighting style intrigued the young heir. It reminded him of something, but he couldn't quite place what it was...

Syuusuke's melodious, near-feminine voice answered his unspoken thought a moment later, startling Kaoru immensely. "I was formerly an assassin with the Griffon's Pride mercenary company," he told Kaoru. "I wasn't often involved in close combat myself, but when I was, there was often only a dagger or knife within reach."

That made sense with what Kaoru had learned in his books and lessons. He thought of the tactics books he'd read, both the ones belonging to his father and the more colorful ones he'd read with Lady Sumire and on his own. An assassin, he remembered, could frequently be caught with only a small weapon, one easier to conceal than a sword.

"I'm also not very heavily built, as you can see," Syuusuke continued, with a sweeping gesture at himself. He was extraordinarily slight, although what Kaoru could see was all muscle. "Although you won't necessarily have that problem, you could still easily encounter an enemy who outweighs you at some point. As a nobleman, too, there may be times when all you can carry is a dagger."

Kaoru nodded slowly. That also made complete sense. If he was ever to travel to court at the capital, he would only be allowed a dagger or a knife in the king's presence, and only a ceremonial one at that. This fighting style of Syuusuke's would undoubtedly be useful to know, even if he never actually needed to use it. "Yes, sir."

Syuusuke repressed a laugh, although not a mean-spirited one. "No 'sir' milord, please. I'm sure our Captain appreciates the formality, but I'm hardly a captain."

"A-all right," Kaoru replied awkwardly, not sure what he i should /I call the man. "Syuusuke" certainly wouldn't be properly respectful. "Guard?" Somehow, that didn't sound right either. Kaoru settled for nothing at all for the moment, saying only "All right," again.

"Here," and Syuusuke flipped him the knife that he'd been using when he fought with the Captain. Kaoru caught it fairly easily by the hilt; he had good coordination even at the worst of times.

"Now, I'm sure the Captain has taught you how to fall without hurting yourself," Syuusuke said. Kaoru glanced to where Kunimitsu had been, but the man was already gone, correcting another guardsman defensive stance on the other side of the yard. "Yes, he has, s-" Kaoru cut himself off mid-word. "Yes." It had been one of the first things they'd all learned, how to drop to the ground while leaving all the muscles loose, so that the worst injury done to oneself was mild bruising.

"Well then, this shouldn't be too difficult," said Syuusuke pleasantly. "The main part of the assassin's technique is, of course, avoidance, as opposed to blocking. It's impossible to block a larger sword properly with only a knife. One way to avoid is to roll to the ground, but you must be able to get back to your feet i immediately /I and to end up where you want to be. And," he added, eyes sparkling, "you must also avoid stabbing yourself with your own weapon. You can't roll with a sword, but you _can_ roll with a dagger, although it's difficult."

"All right," Kaoru said, thinking it through. He studied the knife as he did so, wondering how it would be best to roll safely with it.

"Now, I won't actually have a sword, but I'll come at you as though I did," Syuusuke told him. "I want you to use whatever sort of roll you want to avoid me. I would like to see if you have any bad habits that will hinder you here, that's the purpose of this exercise."

Kaoru found himself starting to like this man. He explained everything as thoroughly as Captain Kunimitsu did, gave Kaoru reasons for everything. Kaoru appreciated being treated as an equal in this way. "Yes, s-" Kaoru said, and cut himself off again, then went into a ready stance.

The exercise wasn't nearly as simple as it seemed, as Kaoru had half-suspected. The first time Syuusuke came at him, Kaoru rolled and ended up with the point of the dagger in his ribs, where it would have killed or severely injured him if it had been sharpened.

"Not a bad roll," Syuusuke said, not reaching down a hand to help him up, which Kaoru appreciated. He liked to do things on his own, and the look on the other man's face said that he knew that was true. "But you see that you need to keep track of where your weapon will be at all times." Kaoru got to his feet, his ribs protesting their newly-bruised state.

Kaoru spent the rest of the morning in this exercise, dropping and rolling then returning smoothly to a fighting crouch. It didn't look so difficult when Syuusuke did it, but Kaoru found it left painful marks comparable to those caused by the swing of a broadsword. It was hard to avoid his own knife, as Syuusuke had said, and although the blade was dull it was still unforgiving.

By the time Syuusuke called a halt, Kaoru was panting, nearly to the end of his endurance. "I think you'll find," he informed Kaoru with a smile, "that you'll be in need of a good breakfast, milord. Make sure you eat plenty."

Kaoru was sweating and exhausted, and felt he'd barely be able to manage a single bowl of porridge. But he gasped out, "Thank you, sir," unable to stop himself calling the other man "sir" in time. Syuusuke didn't complain, however, merely nodded, smiled, and took the dagger from Kaoru's clenched hand. Kaoru flexed the muscles of his fingers, which had seized up around the weapon's hilt, and winced. They'd be painful the rest of the day, probably longer.

The guardsmen had also finished practice, and they were joking among themselves as they walked out of the training yard. They were going back to their posts, Kaoru thought wearily, not sure how anyone could stand to practice so early and then stand duty. He walked in the opposite direction they did, unconsciously heading for the back meadow that had been in his thoughts the previous night.

Kaoru stopped the instant he saw his target destination. The bright, colorful wagons in the back field reminded him that he did not yet have permission to visit the Travelers...although really, he had not been expressly forbidden, either. It wasn't past curfew, as it had been the night before, and the Travelers in their camp already looked bustling and busy, feeding and watering horses by the small stream. There was music that reached Kaoru's ears also; someone was usually playing or singing at all hours when the Travelers camped here.

Kaoru made up his mind to stop by for a few minutes only. It was still half a stroke until breakfast would be served in the Hall, and it was unlikely anyone at the keep would notice him missing yet. He hadn't brought any coin with him, besides; it wasn't as though he'd even be defying his father's wishes in regards to the books. He'd only say hello to a few of the Travelers he knew by name and tell them he'd be by later.

The younger children, playing in the grass at the edge of the camp, watched him out of bright, curious eyes as he passed by them. They were unafraid of strangers, living the life they did, one in which they saw new people near every moon-phase.

A few of the sentry-dogs barked when he passed the edge of the first wagon, going to their masters to alert them to the newcomer. Kaoru whistled once as he'd been taught in previous years, a strange whistle made by putting the tongue against the roof of the mouth, and the dogs quieted. But of course, his presence had already been announced, and heads turned to him from every direction.

The one who actually walked over to him was a fairly tall, light-haired boy, just a little older than Kaoru, who was still holding the reins of a flashy pair of black-and-white horses, both of whom had been unharnessed but still wore their bridles. The horses snorted and shook their manes, sending the bells on the leather straps jingling, but the boy quieted them with a tug on their leads.

"Milord Kaoru, it is a pleasure to see you again," the boy said softly, with a voice like the music of harp strings and a kind, sincere smile.

"And you as well, Seiichi," Kaoru responded. Another boy joined them then, taking one of the horse's reins. This boy was darker-haired, and nearly always wore the same sober expression he wore now. "Milord," he said shortly.

"Genichirou," Kaoru said with a nod. Seiichi and Genichirou were, from what Kaoru had seen of them in previous years, near inseparable. Best friends, having grown up together, they were both quiet and did not speak much. Seiichi was extremely polite and even sweet, reminding Kaoru more of his lady mother than of anyone else. Genichirou spoke curtly when he spoke at all, but he was a good person, and as Kaoru had seen, would defend Seiichi with his life.

"Are you here to look at the books, then?" Seiichi asked. All the Travelers knew well what it was that interested the young heir of this manor. All of them seemed to have an amazing memory for what everyone at the holding was most likely to buy. Truly, they were salesmen and bargainers ahead of all else.

They also knew that Kaoru was not, strictly speaking, permitted to buy these books, as Genichirou proved a moment later. "He'll send the lady to do that," he said, raising his hand to stop the horse's restless pawing. Genichirou was, of course, referring to the Lady Sumire, not to Lady Hozumi.

"Oh, yes," Seiichi said with what sounded like true remorse. He looked to Kaoru sympathetically and no words needed to be passed between them; they both understood that Kaoru's father still did not approve of his son's love for the books the Travelers sold. All of the Travelers also enjoyed stories and novels, at least as far as Kaoru knew. They were not illiterate in the least, as they were sometimes painted in tales. Most of them seemed to hold more learning and wisdom than anyone else Kaoru knew of.

"Yes," Kaoru said, with an unvoiced sigh, and then changed the subject. "Where's..." he asked carefully, looking around.

Seiichi knew who he meant. "Akaya has been ill since we passed the border," he said regretfully. Genichirou tried to look sorrowful to match his friend, but failed. Like Kaoru and Takeshi, there was no love lost between Genichirou and Akaya. Akaya was the living image of the Travelers in the tales, dark-haired, arrogant, and half-mad. He'd challenged Kaoru to a bout of swordplay each time they'd met in the past few years, and admittedly was very good at his cobbled-together, bizarre method of fighting. Kaoru did not necessarily enjoy Akaya's company the way he enjoyed Genichirou's and Seiichi's, but he _was_ a good match for Kaoru's sword skills.

"Ah, but that reminds me, milord," Seiichi continued, returning to his mild good cheer. "There is someone Renji wanted to introduce you to. He's helping the treatment of Akaya's illness, you see." He turned to Genichirou, whose somewhat sour expression melted the instant he met Seiichi's eyes. "Would you please take Whisper and Banner down to drink, Genichirou?" he requested, then added politely, "Unless you would rather take milord to Renji's friend."

"I'll take the horses, Seiichi," Genichirou replied, and his fondness for the other was evident in his tone. He held out his hand for the other horse's reins and Seiichi handed them over. Genichirou led the horses away, down to the stream bank, and Seiichi nodded to Kaoru and led him to a wagon that Kaoru remembered as belonging to the Travelers' unofficial healer. It was adorned with strings of different herbs, all hung upside down to dry and be used for medicines. Some Kaoru recognized: chamomile, basil, marigold and dandelion leaves, garlic, peppermint, and others. Others were completely foreign to him.

Seiichi rapped lightly on the door of the wagon, one foot on the steps leading up to the entryway. "Renji, Kaoru is here."

Kaoru heard a muffled thud through the wood of the door, and then Akaya's voice, which was much quieter than Kaoru remembered. " _That_ Kaoru? I need to-" Another thud, and a startled yelp that most likely had also come from Akaya, and then silence.

"Ah, Seiichi." The door opened, and the wagon's inhabitant looked out at them. Renji, Kaoru knew, was a half-blooded Traveler only. His father had been a resident of a village the caravan had passed through, and Renji's mother had taken a fancy to him. Renji therefore had a mixture of Traveler and non-Traveler features, with neither dramatically light hair nor dramatically dark, one of which most of the other Travelers possessed.

"And milord Kaoru," Renji said, with a slight bow and a welcoming smile. "I apologize for making you wait. Akaya is not...ah...a very cooperative patient."

Kaoru did his best to hide his laugh at that statement, so as not to seem rude. "Yes, I can imagine," Kaoru said.

"Would you like me to talk to him?" Seiichi asked Renji quietly. "Akaya, that is."

Renji let out a sigh and brushed his hair back with the hand that wasn't holding the door. "Please do, if you would. You're the only one he'll obey." It seemed to Kaoru that Akaya obeyed Seiichi partially because he, like everyone else, cared for sweet, delicate Seiichi, and partly to annoy Genichirou further than he already did. Kaoru did not mention this, however. He didn't trust himself fully as a judge of character and didn't wish to offend.

"I'm sure I'm not the _only_ one," Seiichi demurred, but he brushed past Renji, who held the door open farther, and entered the wagon anyway. He knew, as all the Travelers did, that what Renji said was true.

"So, milord," Renji said, carefully closing the door behind himself, apparently confident in Seiichi's ability to calm Akaya down without being thrown out of a window. "There was someone I thought you might enjoy meeting."

Kaoru tilted his head, slightly confused. He thought he'd met all of the Travelers on their last visit, except possibly any babies that had been birthed since then. It was always possible they had taken in someone new, perhaps from another clan, but that was a rare occurrence. The clans were as a tight-knit family, much like Kaoru's own at the manor, but without the fostered children who came to stay at the hold for years at a time. "Who?"

"A friend of mine, who is traveling with us for a time," Renji informed him, fingering a bunch of the herbs on the wagon's side thoughtfully. "Due to your interest in literature, I believe the two of you may have some similar interests...ah, there he is now."

Kaoru turned to see at whom Renji was looking, and saw a stranger making his way through the camp. The man had very unusual eyes, Kaoru noticed with a start, and then realized that they were only sight-lenses, like the ones Captain Kunimitsu wore, but with much thicker pieces of glass in them.

"I sent him along the stream to find some willow bark, and it appears he's found some," Renji explained. The stranger neared, then stopped about three paces from Kaoru. He regarded Kaoru evenly, looking over the top rims of his sight-lenses, and Kaoru could not help forgetting good manners and staring back. There was something about the stranger's eyes, peering out from behind the near-opaque pieces of glass he wore, that sent a shock through Kaoru. Certainly, they were lovely eyes, dark, but not particularly unusual, so Kaoru wondered at himself and his reaction. He shook his head just slightly, inconspicuously, to attempt to rid himself of the feeling.

"Sadaharu, this is Kaoru," Renji began.

"The heir of Shibuki, Lord of the manor, whose lands we are currently staying on?" the stranger, Sadaharu, queried, turning his gaze from Kaoru to Renji. "The one who enjoys books, you said."

"Correct, as usual, Sadaharu," Renji said with a laugh. "I'm not surprised that you remembered. So, milord Kaoru," Renji said, reverting his own gaze back to the heir. "Sadaharu is an old friend of mine, from my father's village. He is writing a book on the customs of different peoples, and he requested to be allowed to travel with us for a time."

"Writing a book?" Kaoru asked. "That must be interesting..." he paused for a moment, wondering what the man would like to be called. The Travelers all scoffed at his usage of "sir" and "lady," but as this "Sadaharu" wasn't actually one of them, he decided it was best to be careful. "...sir."

"Oh, yes," Sadaharu told him, becoming more animated as though this topic was very fascinating to him as well. "It's been a highly educational experience thus far. Before I came along with Renji, I stayed with the nomads of the desert. It's not a comfortable climate, but some of their rituals are very unique because of it. They worship a god of rain, you know, and they pray for a good wet season, because that's all the water they'll get to last them an entire year-"

"Sadaharu," Renji interrupted him with a smile, "perhaps you'd like to save the lecture until later? I know you're a scholar first and foremost, at all times, but-" Then he spared a glance at Kaoru, who, although he enjoyed books and learning, would probably be overwhelmed by all the information just after he'd been introduced to this man.

But Kaoru was listening intently to Sadaharu's every word, and was not at all overwhelmed. It was wonderful, to him, to hear this from someone who had actually _been_ to the deserts he'd read about but never truly i _seen_. And Renji's friend was writing a _book,_ something Kaoru had longed to do but had never dared, for fear of risking his father's anger.

Kaoru would have liked to tell Sadaharu and Renji, both, all that he was thinking at the moment. But he'd never been much of a conversationalist, and worried that he would end up being rude when that was not what he'd intended. He replied only with a nod and another, "Interesting."

"Oh, yes, Renji, I found your willow bark, and another plant that I would like you to positively identify for me," Sadaharu said, and he held out the bark in one hand and a delicate yellow flower in the other. "I am no herbalist, but I believe I've seen it before and never discovered its name."

"It's lady's slipper," Kaoru said before Renji could reply. Both of the men looked at him in surprise. Kaoru turned his head, uncomfortable. He hadn't really meant to speak up just then, but he'd been unable to help himself. The flower was fairly common in the surrounding woods.

"Ah, you've been reading the book the lady bought for you last year, then," Renji said, with a look of delight. "I'm glad to know that it's being read and used. You see, Sadaharu?" and he looked at his friend, who was eyeing Kaoru with new interest. "He may not be the active scholar you are, but he certainly retains information, just as I remembered."

"Hmm," Sadaharu said, looking thoughtful. "Yes, it seems so."

It was at that moment that Kaoru's mind chose to register the fact that the sun had risen higher in the sky. Inside he panicked, knowing that his family would be gathering in the Hall, probably was already there, as a matter of fact. Outwardly he kept his composure, saying only, "Oh...I had best get back up to the keep, my mother and father will be waiting with breakfast."

"All right," Renji said, nodding.

"You'll be back later, correct?" Sadaharu asked unexpectedly. The question caught Kaoru off guard; he'd never met the man before and here he was, asking after the young heir's return. "I-yes," Kaoru said uncertainly. He i would /I be back, if he could manage to escape lessons soon enough, and if his cousins chose today to visit the back meadow after dinner, but he most likely would not be able to talk further with Renji's friend. He would be accompanied by too many people to discuss books and his interests openly. "Farewell, then."

Kaoru only broke into a sprint after he'd cleared the small rise that would hide him from sight as he made his way back to the keep. As he ran, his stomach complained loudly that he'd not yet eaten breakfast. Kaoru realized that Syuusuke had been quite right about getting something to eat; he found himself absolutely starving. He made it back to the keep, the Hall, and his waiting family in what was probably his personal best time for such a run.


End file.
